Birmingham

Each of our offices support a charity, selected by the team in that location.

InUnity is a social mobility charity based in south Birmingham. Through a range of targeted programmes – using a mixture of activities across sport, physical activity, creative arts, youth development, training and workshops – it aims to empower young people to bring about positive change in their local communities.

Birmingham Legal Advice Clinic

A number of our staff are involved in running the Birmingham Legal Advice Clinic (BLAC). This innovative collaboration is helping vulnerable people with advice on housing, homelessness, debt, welfare, legal aid and general contract law among other pressing challenges. Alongside the other firms involved in this project, we run one clinic a month with our team of advisor volunteers, which includes from trainees, paralegals, associates and partners.

This project won the Pro Bono Award at the 2020 Birmingham Law Society Awards.

Access Project

Three of our Birmingham team are involved with tutoring for the Access Project. The Access Project provides one-to-one tuition to students in disadvantaged areas with the aim of improving their grades and helping them get into a top university.

Schools

We work with a number of schools in Birmingham. For example, one of our trainees conducted mock interviews with Year 12 students from Plantsbrook Secondary School in Sutton Coldfield. Solicitors also took part in a 'Guess my Job' activity with pupils from Handsworth Wood Girls' Academy, and offered practice interviews to pupils from Swanshurst School in Billesley. Previously we have also worked with Stanville Primary School and Archbishop Ilsley School.

Routes to Professions: Law Scheme

We participated in a work experience scheme run by the University of Birmingham called 'Routes to Professions: Law Scheme'. The programme is part of the University's commitment to improving access to courses and careers in law for under-represented students, and supports A-Level students in making decisions about a career in law and helps them through the application process. Five students spent one week rotating around all departments within our Birmingham office in order to gain experience of life in a law firm.

Pro-bono Activity

Our pro-bono legal support assisted Moseley Road Baths to obtain a licence to operate a Grade II listed swimming pool. The Moseley Road Baths were originally earmarked for closure by Birmingham City Council, but have now re-opened to provide a community asset running as a community business.